Thankfully he is no longer at the T.V. Trays. He has moved up in this world to an Armoir, which the mere sound makes you feel like you should be doing important things. Either that or hanging your clothes. At least that's what I think when I hear the word.
I know for myself, when I am away from home I always take my computer along, I plan to write about the day and definitely plan for inspiration. I can tell you those tiny tables they put in hotel rooms are not inspiring to me. They are so very utilitarian and, I don't know I just get restless, pull on my shoes and go out.
I'm also not a lap-writer. Who are these people anyway who write on their laps? One sees them in bed, on couches, sitting cross-legged with their laptop (which one can only assume was intended for laps from the name) writing away. I can't do it. My legs fall asleep, my arms are uncomfortable, I don't like electronics in my bed.
So I'm letting you in on a picture of where I write. It's my very own desk which is pictured at the top. It's not ideal, ideal would be sun room all to myself with my desk and laptop, but it's good enough for now. Let me break it down for you.
Of course there is the main tool of writing, the laptop, which as I said, I never use in my lap. They keys are worn, the 'n' is almost non-existent. I don't know why that should be...maybe I write 'no' a lot. My main screen right now has a modern day Little Red, not at all impressed by the Big Wolf. This is meant to remind me that I should be finishing my Little Red story. I got a little bummed when that movie came out last year... I still haven't seen it, I'm hoping it doesn't affect what I was writing. However I hardly see it, when I walk away for more than 3 min all my pictures slide show, which reminds me I should go through and remove some, there's some gruesome stuff on there that I collect for Subversify, nobody should have to look at that all the time. Somehow I never get around to that either.
My desk is a 1950's student desk, the kind one bought for their kids' rooms in the hopes they would do their homework. As it's pretty well preserved I'm guessing not a lot of homework got done. It is nice in that it has the 3 shelves on the right hand side. These are constantly stacked with books and there is reason to how I stack. On the very bottom are all the books I get at the library. In the middle are the books I am currently reading. As the desk sits right next to the bed I reach down to the bottom and rifle through what I want to read first and put those in the middle right where can grab them. As an insomniac I am often up reading at hours that has caused my mate to use a pretty silk face mask, that I'm pretty sure was designed for other uses...but that's another story. The top shelf is for research and notes.
To the left of my computer I have a salt lamp that is pretentious and supposedly puts negative ions in the air. I don't think it does enough of that, it's not as if it smells like a thunderstorm in here but it does have a little basin for essential oils which I use a lot. I like to smell things that put me in the mood of whatever I'm writing, A really very good company for this is BLACK PHOENIX ALCHEMY LABS if you can dream a smell they probably have it. They are wonderful. But I also use it for calming me down for which I make my own secret recipes which require a lot of home alchemy, basically I use whatever smells good at the moment figuring that's what I must need.
In front of that you see a stack of paper. That stack is always there, the things may change but there is always something I am meant to do but am ignoring. When I get tired of ignoring it I put it in the front drawer. Then it's replaced by something else I'm meant to see to. I also keep a pad there for research notes. I know I can click and paste notes, but I don't I need to waste paper, it's one of my only non-green-earth-friendly things. If it makes anyone feel better, I do eventually shred them and they go into my garden. So my words feed something at every stage...does your computer do that? I didn't think so.
The front drawer is a treasure chest. It's full of old bills, things I was meant to take care of but didn't, addresses, stamps, teeth, change, broken jewelry, labels, tape measures and at this moment a book of epigrams on Men and Women and Love by Balzac. It's really like a child's treasure box, except for the bills bit, but every two months or so I go through the paper and if I haven't taken care of it by then I shred it and it too feeds my garden.
To the right I have practical things like hair clips in case my hair is bothering me. I've been growing it out so right now I also have a set of combs to sweep and pin it back with. There is a bottle of Exedrine for the long days of editing...kidding, I just have it because I get headaches anyway. Burt's Bees lip balm and mints for if I have to open the door to someone and I haven't yet gotten around to brushing, water and a lamp.
The other three drawers on my right, I have no idea what they hold. I know I put it there and it belongs to me, but really it could be anything, the Christmas present I forgot to send last year which you will get from me next year if I remember, maybe a key to something that I have forgotten, Perhaps an envelope with an address on it, which is why I keep asking for addresses even when you know you've given them to me. I simply open those drawers when I am desperate to get rid of something and have not yet decided if I want to be final about it. One of these days, maybe when I get that bigger sun room and a new desk I'll go through it.
Or maybe I'll leave it just as it is and put it in the attic for some future generation to rummage through.
Anyway, the writer's desk, it is a place that is more home and more telling than most of the house for the writer.
Hmm. Your desk looks about the same size as mine, but fashioned a bit differently. My desk is open faced, with three shelves and a cabinet for my console. I've gotta say, my desk looks much more abused. I drink coffee most of the day and there are coffee stains everywhere, including on the scraps of paper i jot notes on, littering the left hand side. On the right hand side, there is a little metal chicken with long legs and glasses. Behind it is a pen holder made from a concentrated juice can and covered with a mosaic of postage stamps from the early sixties; a present i gave to my father when i was a child and that was returned to me after he died. Behind the desk is a collection of used Bic lighters that i gather up sporadically and put in a box, intending to hold a proper burial for my Bic lighter grave yard some day. (We need a camcorder and a ceremony first) What does this say about me other than that i'm a slob? At least i'm a sentimental one. - Karlsie
ReplyDeleteHa! It says you have no respect for wood! I can't help it, I can't stand putting things that stain on wood. Except the kitchen table that I gave up on long ago. It looks like a real working kitchen table should with knife marks, rings, scratches, stains.
ReplyDeleteAlso my desk I lifted from my office partner and am kinda treating gingerly in case it is noticed that it is missing, It's been 3 years and so far, no complaints but still, I may have to give it back someday...I hope not.
Love the Bic lighter collection. We all have our little things that we hope to do something responsible with someday...I have an entire garage shelf of glass jars, I don't think I could fill them all if I canned all summer but still...those things are bloody expensive.